Some people were born to haggle, negotiate, cajole, whatever you call it. The rest of us need some…
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The simple thing my friend did was ask if the company offered a signing bonus. He heard back in a few days and learned the company wanted him badly. The offer was sweetened to include a signing bonus equivalent to one month's pay. That's an impressive payout for sending one e-mail.

Interestingly, even in this economy, more than 50% of companies still offer these signing bonuses. Of course, as with all negotiation, you don't want to make an outrageous request, or you could end up shooting yourself in the foot. Hit the link to read more. Photo by Refracted Moments.